A little world tour
by Supikun
Summary: Yuuko, from XXXHOLIC receives another group of strange travelers, she has plans for them... Or does someone else?
1. Sabishikute nagasugiru fuyu datta

"Who are you?"

The woman was not pleased; this little brat was more annoying than any previous one.

"I will not let you hurt her, or anybody," the boy stood there defiantly, but politely, "Please excuse, this turn of events, dear lady. I told you once, and now twice to leave her alone – or I will stop you..."

"A child like you should know better," she sent a discharge of pure power at him, "Not to talk back to your elders!"

"A child huh?"

He easily defected it, "Do not ever underestimate me, Madame, I can be tough when I want..."

"Who are you?"

She again demanded summoning up the worst of her sorceries...

"An interested party, nothing more," he responded indicating, "I will give you one more chance, Madame, change your ways or else. I have sworn never to harm a lady, but you are stretching that oath too far..."

He paused dramatically, showing that he was starting to change from the polite little boy to a hell-spawned creature of pure sorcery, "My magical circle will not be broken by such a thing as weak as you."

"Weak this, child!"

"Eko eko Azarak," over his dark skin came multiple symbols of eyes strung with veins, "Eko eko Zormelak," his clothes fluttered, "Eko Eko Cernunos..."

The boy was now being defended by another form...

This one had a sense of pure joy and the felling of the runes flowing through his blood, "I will not let you be harmed, boy, no matter what mischief you get into..."

"This is my fight, stay out of it," the boy said to the elder male – who by consequence was the same height as he.

"Precisely - I do not care how many things you summon," she attacked but was deflected again by the boy. Her eyes widened and looked at the boy for a second, "What are you? Who are you? You cannot be ..."

"I will not let you hurt anyone," the boy said ready to continue not even realizing his injury.

The other there did notice the injury, "Eko eko Aradia," his shamanic sorcery ripped through the poor unfortunate with flaming daggers.

The young man shivered looking at him – there was a combination of fear and fascination with these flames. He glanced at the elder male, "You... you..."

A nod came.

"Don't you know any restraint?"

The boy objected, "You shouldn't kill people even – even – even if they are bad..."

"When you wish for magic in your life," the shaman's gold irises gazed on the boy. His hands rushed in catching the boy as he collapsed, "You must too sow the wind..."

THE COUNTRY OF KADWYR

The sand bit into the flesh and skin, though she even minded such things. She was Li Meiling, there was nothing in heaven or earth that would ever defeat her.

Her red-orange eyes were covered by goggles, yet both were set on heading towards the neighboring kingdom...

Her Arabian clothes fluttered in the small storm.

She had heard rumors that the beloved crown princess along with her best friend had gone missing, the king and his best friend has been poisoned by daggers, and the nation is under attack by strangely dressed people...

(TSUBASA, Volume 1.)

There was only one thought, defeat the enemy and be recognized as the best by the royals. She already knew she was the best; it was not a big leap to have someone else agree to it...

THE COUNTRY OF JAPAN

"It has been raining cats and dogs and rabbits and chipmunks..."

She listened to the weather confirming, "I added the rabbits and chipmunks - for it has been a little too long for just dogs and cats..."

(Cats, dog, rabbit, Chipmunk – CLAMP)

She struck her hand through her long black hair, reclining there in that couch like a caterpillar after gorging itself, "We are going to have guests... very important guests... set up the chairs..."

(She is Yuuko, XXXHOLIC)

"Set up the chairs," the two little girls in very cute dresses pushed the teen in the school uniform, "We have guests... very important guests..."

"Still rambunctious as always... Moru-chan and Maru-chan?"

A slight snicker at the little girls...

"You are early..."

She said to the form in the doorway.

Nod.

The teen looked at the boy in the long-sleeved white shirt and white gloves. In his left, he clutched his shoes and in his right, despite the gloves dangled a cute little backpack.

"You!"

"You came to play! You came to play!"

"Come play," the girls started to race around the boy.

"Sure, sure, sure," the boy nodded. He timidly approached the reclining woman and bowed, "Please excuse me for being rude or being early..."

He bent over and kissed her hand, "A lady like you deserves every respect..."

"Of course..."

She replied asking the teen if he could be this polite...

The boy trailed off in thought for a second – there was an image of seducing the elder woman or her trying to win him. He shrugged it off, "Please, Madame, do not tell my guardian ... He likes to worry ..."

"Then you can help out my houseboy," she carelessly said, "After all, that is why you came early."

"Houseboy!"

The teen shouted loudly.

"Oh," a cheery face ignoring the taller boy's hot objection to her statement. He stuck out his hand, "You can call me Abtony K..."

He tilted his head slightly, "Even though I sort of "borrowed" the name... I am twelve years old, I am a junior, and I was born on the night of the 30th of April..."

"The 30th of April... the night before May Day... Walpurgis Night, a dark day where the witches and pagans of Europe and England do their darkest and most violent of spells, their "Dark Magick," before the cockcrow," the woman gave an analysis the significance, "So that they can do their "White Magic" on the next day..."

"By what name are you called, sir?"

"What? What?"

The male with the frap chino eyeglasses blinked wondering why "she" defined it – whatever "she" defined was never good.

"Nice to meet you, sir... I am from..."

"Don't just stand there," she shifted revealing more of her nice ivory skin out from under her half-dressed body, "Get the tea and cake ready... and of course the..."

"The wine? Again? Don't you drink enough as it is?"

The "houseboy" stared at her for a bit with his strange eyes hatefully – that "woman" had tricked him into virtual slavery.

"Don't stand there," the little girl with buns in her hair repeated.

"Get the tea and cakes ready," the one with two braids echoed pushed them forward.

"Sure, sure, sure," the shorter boy nodded, "I know where the kitchen is," he gave a reassuring smile, "But I would enjoy the help, flashing and streaking..."

(Moru and Maru's names mean streaking and flashing)

"Right!"

"Help out! Help out!"

The "houseboy" watched them go towards the kitchen...

So did the woman in black, making an observing grin as if she had caught a falcon in a simple snare, "You since something about him, don't you? He and you are very much alike..."

"But not, in other ways... he too has magic in his blood... very old magic..."

"I won't let you take his soul!"

The "houseboy" shouted.

"Of course not," she partially sat up, "Little Abtony would demand to high a price for it ..."

"And I am not interested in it," she paused for a second sending the houseboy on his way, "Well, just not yet..."


	2. Namida sae kooritsuku fuyu datta

The second guest arrived, also early for the appointment…

He was short in stature with nice blonde hair…

The first things off his lips were, "Is that kid here or not?"

She at first did not answer only took out her opium pipe, he repeated himself.

Now she replied, "Which kid…"

"You know whom I am taking about!"

"Something the matter?"

She packed the bowl of the pipe half amused.

"I never signed on for this sort of thing," he adjusted his black tie, "When I came here almost five years ago…"

"Yes, you did," the pipe's glow stated to fill the room with smoke and memory, "Feng D. Hiraki… Shamen of the runes… Dressed in black with sable edging on the hood, the cuffs, and on the bottom… dressed strangely with red embroidery on your wintry coat… a stranger in a strange land…"

"You gave me a new life, witch, I will give you that," he cut the short and took out a pack of cigarettes, "A year later a guy that smokes this brand… Lucky Sevens…"

"In Armani clothes, dark brown hair," she interrupted, "That was the Master of the Cherry Trees…"

(Seishiro, Tokyo Babylon)

He tapped out a cigarette and lit it up, "Cold, Wet, and half-naked… I assumed that this man killed the brat's parents…"

"The man with violet eyes took a drag on the cigarette as she took one on her pipe, "In a very rare act of "mercy" on his part, he bid me in your name to care for him and protect him – or else…"

"Munch! Munch! Munch!"

The little black thing with red eyes swallowed up the cake, "My! How sweet!"

"You! You little!"

The "houseboy" was not pleased.

"Makona, so kowaii and kawaii," Abtony squealed letting the round puff-ball agree to jump into the protection of his arms," I am a real fan of yours… I would never let an artist like you be unrecognized. May I ask for an autograph?"

"Don't even bother, that little muffin is as much trouble as that woman is…"

"Don't you mind him, he is just jealous…"

He gave the black thing with the red dot on it head a hug, "I will make you new cakes for you and the beautiful lady of the house…"

He then glanced at Moru and Maru, "You will help, will you not, good ladies?"

Both girls immediately agreed to it – if he said anything, they would agree to it automatically.

"You actually like that evil woman? She steals people's souls! I-I thought you were a nice guy…"

"I am one, the perfect English gentleman," he took objection to the assertion he was not good, "Don't you like her? Even though it is rude to speak badly of someone when they are not present… she is not that bad, is she?"

"Yes, she is!"

Abtony stated to cook, as if he knew the kitchen's setup better than the "houseboy" did, "If you taking about her personality… Magic is neither good nor evil."

"What are you saying! You actually agree with that woman!"

He mixed the batter, "It can bring life with one hand, and snuff it out with the other. So, magic must be considered coldly, like a bank-balance, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world…"

"How old did you say you were again?"

The houseboy asked wondering about this little kid.

The black thing with small arms, legs, and tail looked at him sadly.

"Extra chocolate?"

His face matched the little pet's hoping to keep the little friend happy.

"What about your friends? What about your family? They should be concerned about you," the older teen warned, "They could…"

"I have no family…"

"I am sorry…"

There was a sad look on his face.

"Well, I lied," he corrected that look, "I do have a family, but… "A house without love - is a house of living death." As for my friends, I have lots of friends, they are at school," he added, "Only my guardian is coming…"

"Guardian?"

"Hiraki comes from a far away land, like me ... He owed the lady here a favor, so he is paying her back by caring me in this time," he took out the cake form the oven and frosted it, "You see, there is no such things as chance meanings in the lives of sorcerers or other things…"

(Abtony is referring to himself, Yuuko, and Watanuki. He is hinting at something without being overt, that Watanuki also has magic.)

"Makona hungry! And thirsty! Sake!"

The black ovoid protested impatiently making demands.

The "houseboy" looked at it wishing he could put the little annoyance into orbit or use it as a soccer ball against his mortal rival.

"You will have to do that, sir," he cut the cake and placed the kettle on, "I am too young, I am not allowed to drink or handle alcohol…"

"That little kid is dangerous. He had no idea of any restraint. He will run without fear into any fight, and if a lady is concerned he will try to even kill himself to make her happy… he summons up ghosts to play chess, then materializes them to be his "aunts," Hiraki complained, "All he wants to be is loved by everyone like a puppy…"

"That is why he was left with you. You know the arts… You can teach him all the rules – the correct and proper compensation must be offered for goods and services rendered…"

"You don't understand," he explained, "His magic is English… I am a rune shaman, ours is incompatible… a pity that he refuses to…"

"No it is not… It is "Hitzen," an unavoidable fate. It is your responsibility Hiraki Feng, either he is taught or he will misuse what gifts he has…"

"I hope she likes it, the food and the gift," Abtony blushed, "Though you and her do make the perfect couple… you sly, sly, sly fox… The lady of the house is a very special kind of lady," he placed down the porcelain cups on the tea platter, "She is very beautiful, wise, and powerful… and besides that, sleeping with her would have many other added benefits, once you win her heart… you sly, sly, sly fox…"

"I heard that!"

The little girl with white wings on her dress said, "Just bring the cake and the tea."

Both were a little stared by the change in the over-helpful little girl's disposition, voice, and face, "Despite the flattery… Do not mettle in my affairs…"

There was a shiver down the houseboy's spine; he knew he would pay dearly for this…

On the other hand, he could tell, that Abtony, though blushing, was being totally earnest on the suggestion…

This made the "houseboy" wonder what kind of "control" or intent this boy had here...

Something told him, it was not good…


	3. ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT Mou sugu sa

"I sur'ly 'hought th' svart'alf'ar w're quit' extinct..."

A Cornish accent snickered, "May th' wonders nev'r cease..."

"What is with you laughing? Who – who is this short guy?"

"I said 'hat," her green eyes faced down the stranger's red eyes, "Sv'art'alf'ar. German for Dark Elf... 'he Drow..."

She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose ready to quote the DD Third Ed. description for the drow...

"I am not that short," Hiraki protested, "Not am I going to prance about making toys for a silly fat man in a red suit..."

The first, the one with the Cornish accent was a nice girl. She seemed between 16 and 22, and had red page-boy hair, "Who are you? What are you? Where am I?"

"I just asked that, kitty-girl," the second said noting the marks under her eyes – they were like whiskers on a cat. The second was teenaged, had short clipped blue hair with a long braid. She was in a very nice military uniform with an armband sporting a hemp leaf.

(Hemp leaf – Green Drug)

"What ev'r necromancy brought me here," the fur belt around her waist started to uncurl, she hated being called an animal...

She also hated to be used by anyone...

"What kind of a monster are you?"

The blue-haired girl let a gold cylinder descend form her arm. She could not mistake the twitching tail on the redhead – and the ears...

Hiraki by now was standing half in shock, half ready for things to get worse – it did when the last girl deposited into her selected chair...

"Yokai!"

The last guest shouted drawing a long scimitar. A boasting laugh, "Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho... I hope you said the correct prayers, for I am going to send you back to King Yenma..."

"I am not a monst'r," the girl with the tail laid back her ears starting to accept both challenges...

"This is my house. Everything in it is mine," Yuuko stood, now in her witch's gown, "If you have forgotten the rules of hospitality, kill each other outside and get arrested for all I care..."

"Arrested?"

The girl with the laser sword glanced at her.

"Who are you?"

The girl pointed the scimitar in Yuuko's direction, i don't care how many you are... oh-ho-ho-ho-ho," she fanned out between each finger yellow ofuda, "I can take you all one-at-a-time, or all at once..."

" Bring it on!"

"Fine with me..."

The girl with the tail started then her eye caught sight of the "house boy," she went over and almost wrapped herself around him, "H'llo, cutie..."

"Um," he blinked at the tail, "H-hell-Hello..."

"You sly, sly, sly fox, you... The tea is served," Abtony placed the tray onto the table, "Lady Yuuko."

"Welcome to my shop," the witch cleared her voice, immediately, all took their seats, "Where all wishes are granted – for a price..."

"Please do have some cake, elegant ladies," he sliced up the first piece for Yuuko, gave a blushing smile, "You can call me Abtony K. Reed, I am age 14, one of the best students at Clamp Campus. By what are you called?"

"I am the Space-Time Witch," the busty woman in the black dress with pennants form her high bun ignored his interruption, "Each of you have a reason for coming here, or you would not be here..."

She faced the fourteen-year-old boy with blue-black hair that matched the blush under his nose, "You want powerful magic. You want to develop your powers to protect this world you love... and protect the ones you care for..."

"Yes," Abtony was ready to slice off part of his hand with the next part of the cake, "And no..."

Hiraki was not pleased by this revelation or the boy's presence here, it did not help the little kid took the cigarette out of his mouth and lectured him about it stunting his growth...

"You, Commander Yon," the witch moved onto the one with the braid and the cybernetic eye, "You are the dog of the military. Charged to recruit errant Clovers or to kill them... You don't want to kill anymore, Yon..."

("Yon" is Japanese for Four. "Suu," heroine of CLOVER, Chinese for Four... Commander Yon, must be from the same world as Suu and Kazuhiko)

"How-how-how do you know that?"

Yon objected with Yuuko's lips inches away form hers.

"Correct, Te Gwystal. Even if that is not your true name, you like that instead of that long one you have," her hand softly caressed the redhead's forehead revealing more marks to match the ones on her cheeks, "Despite your many natures, twisted family tree with good and bad apples, you wish to have a sword..."

"No! No I don't! I shall not dance to your tune," the fluffy perk ear atop her head twitched, "I make my own destiny, a man's fate is 'is own!"

"Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho... Only a Yokai would say that," the girl with the two buns laughed, "The same bird crying in the rice fields may once have been my mother, the came carp under the mud may once have been my father..."

"Maybe so ... Le Meiling..."

The witch corrected, "Things are only fated if you believe they are – but in other cases, there are no accidents..."

"What is the meaning of this?"

Hiraki put out his cigarette, "You are planning something for all of us, witch..."

"Yes, Feng D. Hiraki," she replied, "I am granting your wishes... by sending you to other worlds... other dimensions..."


	4. Kizutsuku ka kizutsukeru ai datta

The "house boy objected, "Wouldn't they need Mokona? Don't you need this one to keep in touch with Sayaoran and Sakura? And the others..."

"I see you have been learning," she gave a glance with her golden eyes at the guy with the tea kettle, "They already have someone able to move between worlds..."

Hiraki objected, "Never, never in a million years..."

"Please, sir," Abtony placed two slices in front of him, "I paid the price..."

He pulled out from the egg-shaped backpack, "These are the best confectionaries in the entire world, after all I managed to steal them from 20 Masks himself!"

(20 Masks, a gentleman thief that looks similar to Tuxedo Mask, in reality he is Injun Akira, class treasurer and gourmet chef. 20 Masks Menseu, CLAMP. Abtony here has claimed to have done the impossible, steal something from 20 Masks)

"You what! What are you doing, boy?"

"Only a thief can steal from a thief," he grinned back, "I am both a gentleman thief and an English sorcerer..."

"One must not charge too much or too little, I only count two out of four," the witch said coldly in her usual fashion, "The price must be reasonable, equitable, and fair... like your sword, ex-Commander Yon, per say..."

"I don't know what you are talking about," the blue-haired teen jealously clutched her bracelet, "All I know is that you have something..."

She tapped her eyepiece, "The power ratings here are off the scale..."

Yon pointed at the witch, "the houseboy," and Abtony, "It says that you are at least a 5-leaf... and that is quite impossible, I only know of the three three-leaves..."

(Leaf. Powerful psychics are ranked 1 at the weakest 4 at the highest. CLOVER, CLAMP. Yon must have met A, B, or C, she does not know about Suu, the only known late Four-leaf.)

"Your sword, Yon," Yuuko repeated, "In giving it up, you can turn your back on killing... for now..."

"Take it," she unclasped the item and trust it forward, unlike Kurogane, she wanted be rid of it.

"That leaves you, Te..."

"Will 'his do? Something rare, very rare," the woman unhooked two silver cufflinks, her tail twitching all the while, "My father's..."

The "houseboy" blinked, they were very beautiful, though his eyes were more set on the owner, and there was something about her other than the obvious extra parts...

"I only off'r cause you're ey'in' my bell," she clutched the golden object suspended from a string from around her neck, "No creature livin' or dead may have it, necromanc'r..."

"Pheh," she was unconcerned by Te's threat, "If I wanted your soul, Chipmunk-cheeks," she rubbed her hand over the girl's breast, "I would take it."

(Te, is a half-human with glasses, and a chipmunk's tail... She looks like the self-images of Clamp in the back of most of their manga.)

The witch handed the clips to the "houseboy," "The price has been paid, good luck, you will need it."

As he stared at the cufflinks and the strange new group disappears, she sighed, "I told you to place them in the treasure room..."

"If you were wondering, Watanuki, "someone" felt sorry for Sakura, so I sent them to help out a little..."

"I don't say anything!"

"You did think it."

"Stop doing that!"

"Just be a man and take it..."

She purred giving him a slight kiss on the cheek.


	5. Ushinau ka ubaitoru dake datta

"Welcome home! Welcome home! Welcome home, sir," the bright person in the dark maid's outfit sprinkled with lace butter-flies cheered, "Where have you been? Have you gotten taller or something..."

A quick nod, "Yes, you have..."

"The question is also when," he answered the exuberant person and glanced at the door that closed behind him...

He was alone again, at least in his heart...

This time, unlike the last, he had the power to change things for the better or the worse...

"What do you mean when," the long haired maid asked very concerned, "Eh... Lord E..."

The maid repeated, "Welcome back, Lord Eriol..."

He went over to the mirror, popped out the yellow contacts and replaced them with simple wire-frame glasses, "I prefer my..."

He took a breath, "Are my constant guests here, Nakaru?"

"No, Lord Eriol," the maid's eyes was on the others with the boy.

"Good. The last thing I need is those hanger-on's making things difficult. I really do with I could just kill them and be done with it," the body sighted slicking back his blue-black hair, "But they are family..."

"Eriol?"

Meiling asked, "I thought you said your name was..."

Hiraki agreed, "Yes, I thought it was Abtony K. Reed, that is what you have been calling yourself all the time I have looked after you..."

"It is very complicated..."

His face had changed – it was a real smile, not a forced one, "The truth?"

Nod.

"Maybe later, I am very tired and hungry," he started to untie his shoes; his young face told volumes, almost centuries...

"The simple way is to say there is more than one Sakura, Tomoyo, and Li ... One is in Japan, chasing after the cards. My other self, will give her a little mischief in order to make the cards hers..."

"If there are more than one Sakura," Te quickly replied, "There must be more of you..."

"Yes and no, Te... it is much more complicated than that..."

He paused, "As for my name, I borrowed it... Like I have always said I borrowed it, Hiraki. The first name, "Abtony" was taken from, "Abtony Morgan," which is my name in the French Dub... The last, "Reed," I borrowed from a relative..."

"And the K?"

"That-is-a-secret..."

He chuckled.

"My lord!"

The servant shouted seeing the cuff of his right sleeve move and reveals something different...

The maid grabbed his arm tore off the glove and shouted, "What have you done! Your family is going to kill you! Your arm! You have injured yourself!"

"Tell me about it," Hiraki sighed, "I lectured him hours on keeping himself safe..."

"It is nothing, Nakaru," he gave a reassuring smile to the male dressed like a maid. The young man never questioned why he did not dress like a boy. He just sofly said, "it is only "a reward" for..."

"Reward nothing," he insisted the boy tell him everything.

"Speaking of the past means you either want to reveal in it, regret it, or learn from it..."

He turned to the others, "I might as well do the introductions and welcome you to my world..."

"Your world..."

"I am Lord Eriol, this is my English home," he started to remove his school uniform; "I come from a very lone line of sorcerers, some good and some bad. The year is of no real importance, other than the fact that it is before the turn of the century... In the US - western expansion and the extermination of the Native population; the War of Northern Aggression / Civil War... In Ireland, they are still reeling from the potato blight. In Wales, their coal is fueling the Industrial revolution. Here, in London, where Queen Victoria rules "the empire where the sun does not set," there is a literary, social, and political restoration. Charles Darwin, Lloyd, Carroll, Karl Marx, and many others are adding to the mix. In France, a bad investment broker is taking up a pen and will write, "De la terre à la lune," "From the Earth to the Moon," the first story of real science fiction..."

He could see the stars in Te's bright eyes and continued, "Germany and Italy are uniting under powerful men. Russia is building a railroad from Petersburg to Port Arthur in China. The Ottoman Empire is losing her grip on her colonies amidst the nationalism. In Africa and the Middle East, explorers are discovering the sources of rivers, Egyptology and archaeology, and exploiting it. In India, the Thugs are fueling a rebellion against British Domination. In China, there is a rebellion against the Emperor... And in Japan, they are getting rid of their Shogun..."

"This is an amazing time to live in... The time of Dracula, Sigmund Freud, Richard Wagner, Sherlock Homes, Verdi, Jack the Ripper, Alcester Crowley," he paused to gesture up to the picture of the well-known Satanist and magician.

"Why would you have that?"

Te asked about the painting.

"I like to collect things... like the lady in black... and my relative..."

He confirmed, "Even the Clow Cards, have a bit of the creator's memories... Each of them very precious to him..."

He gestured to a larger version of "The Time Card" next to "The Return Card," "I collect pictures of sorcerers and magicians... These two are most likely very familiar in your world, Te..."

"Huh?"

"Never mind..."


	6. ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT Yo ka akeru

"Tell me another one, why don't you... liar," there was Meiling's sword under his chin.

"That was a lie?"

The girl with the tail twitched her ear.

"Could have fooled me," the ex-soldier said.

"I wasn't," the male with blonde hair trying to get the maid off of him, "Abtony or Eriol, or whatever he is calling himself today has a propensity for this sort of thing..."

"Okay," Eriol sighed, "The thing is, we need to pick something I left in this time... then move on to other worlds... other places..."

"What infernal thing do you want?"

Meiling had out her yellow ofuda.

(Note. I have given Meiling the powers of CCS's Sayaoran)

"I don't remember..."

Face-fault...

"Then at least we can have some fun here," the tail twitched in pure joy, then she pushed the glasses up the bridge of her nose, "Wait... I just remembered..."

"Me too," Meiling shouted still with her scimitar ready to slice off Eriol's nose.

"Now, now," Hiraki tried to intercede.

"We don't have nay money... and we might need clothes to fit in..."

"I have that solved," Te snickered, "Watch..."

In a burst of apple blossoms came a pile of clothing and a thousand pounds sterling.

"Where in the hell did that come from?"

There was a smug look on her cheeks...

"Tell me, demon," Meiling.

"Demon nothing," she was ready to confront her, "This is one of the gifts my mother, the Queen of the Hengeyokai, left me..."

"This could prove very interesting indeed..."

Both the maid and Hiraki looked at him.

His smug Cheshire look matched the chipmunk girl's and whispered, "In a way, one might say that Watanuki and she are very distant siblings..."

"You better not get used to it," the girl with the glasses warned, now obscuring her tail with another illusion, "I am only doing this to help out... In my world, this can be a troubling thing – the money and clothes are only illusionary, they disappear in direct moon-light..."

"Meaning you are a thief?"

"No, it isn't like that at all..."

She pouted.

Eriol paused for a second and thought to himself, "Maybe I should have told Watanuki directly what I was referring to... Hiraki is from Celes (the same world as Fai D. Flowright). That Yuuko is a witch, she is as beautiful as she is evil... That I am an English sorcerer... and that Watanuki is a kitsune (fox-demon)..."

"He should have looked at his own last name Kimiharo, it is the same as the Korean, "Kimiho," Nine-Tailed Fox, the Henyokai queen... and that he should have never risked his soul on the accounts of a woman, unless you wish to marry her... I should have warned him about his best friend, that circumstances might change and the bow he uses might kill Watanuki... It is with-in the Japanese traditions, the yin-yang master... like Subaru or the Cherry Master... or the hunter, like Watanuki's best friend, will kill the destructive kitsune."

He took a deep breath, then shook his head, "On the other hand, maybe I should not... It would ruin all that beautiful woman's plans..."

"So now what?"

Yon asked, finding the Victorian clothing unsuitable.

"We can pair off," Nakaru offered looking at Hiraki with a delicious look, "And see the city..."

"Here," Eriol presented a Tarot deck, "To be fair, you each choose a card, the highest gets the first choice..."

"Fine by me," Meiling said, "Make it quick and fast... no trickery on your part, Eriol or whatever you are calling yourself..."

"The Knight..."

Te was overjoyed by just this title not even caring about the other distinctions, the last card in the deck she wanted would have been – a king, Emperor, or Empress. She had many issues about that.

"I also go a Knight, The Knight of Clubs," Yon replied, "Looks like it is you and me, Te..."

"What's yours, Hiraki?"

Nakaru tried to peek.

"The Ace of Wands," he tried to evade the question.

This only made him squeal in joy (Nakaru is a male, but dressed up in a maid's outfit :) ); he lied saying it matched hers...

"You said no cheating," she prepared to use the ofuda...

"I am not, Lady Meiling, this deck is unlike one I know of... chooses what your personality is like," he glanced at his and shuffled it back in, "The way you are acting, I would say "The High Priestess" or "The Hierophant" in order to match mine..."

"Bah," she tossed her card into the trash, "The 10'000 Hells will freeze over before I pair up with you, Eriol."

"What was yours, Eriol?"

"None of your business..."

He snapped at Te, and then bowed, "Please forgive me, madam... There are things that I wish were not true... Sometimes the truth is very hurtful and dangerous, and there are some secrets that I would like to keep to myself..."

Eriol pushed up his glasses, "Each of us has hurtful secrets, that none would like the other would know... It would be wrong to ever air them..."


	7. Kanashimi wo tokashite

"So, where are you going?"

Hiraki asked the young man as he continued to get Nakaru off his arm.

"My library," he smugly watched the rune-mage and Nakaru, "I thought you decided to see the city..."

"Not likely, I am not taking my eyes off of you..."

Meiling glared at him, "I don't trust a word you say."

"What about you two? Yon and Te? I thought it was decided to go out..."

"I just don't like this dress, so I am not going out," Yon complained, "How they breathe in these things..."

"Well, they don't... What the hell, I haven't been in London in years," Te giggled to herself, "Maybe if I am lucky, I can catch "Sausy Jack" for Scotland Yard..."

(Sausy Jack, one of the names for Jack the Ripper.)

Eriol caught her arm and shook his head; he would not let her be harmed by some madman, even if she had powers of her own. The young man sighed, he wanted them out of the house – the last thing he wanted them to meet is any of his family members. He glanced up at the ceiling, "Okay, okay, we will head to the library... Do NOT wander off, the house was built by a madman, the rooms have a propensity to move of their own accord – rooms may be right-side-up, upside down, put at an angle, lead to dead ends..."

Nakaru nodded, "I remember once where the indoor swimming pool was on the ceiling and all the water was dumped on the floor... It took a month to mop it all up..."

"You live here?"

"Well, like I said, it was built by a madman..."

Through the building, without rhyme or reason, they went. Finally they reached a room; it seemed like a dining room. Te's eyes were on fire seeing it. She glanced at Eriol.

"Not the library, again..."

"What is this?"

Hiraki asked, "Part of your collection or something..."

"Yes and no..."

Eriol entered the room and stood among the sticks of furniture as if they were his and his alone, "This was picked up sometime ago..."

"I know what this is," Te's tail stuck out and wagged in joy, "What is this doing here?"

"I don't get it, all it is a table with some chairs," Yon said.

"It probably has a history to it or is cursed, knowing him," Meiling insulted.

"Of course it has a history. So what is it doing here, I thought..."

"Well, it does have a nice history to it," he pulled out one of the chair and complemented sitting in it, "An arrogant little relative of mine wanted to be a member of this little group, so he did. After the group broke up, and the castle of silver and gold was destroyed... he decided to take the table with him, so it would not face a similar fate..."

"Eriol," Hiraki snapped, "What are you and Te talking about, here..."

Eriol stood among the beautifully carved table and chairs, "This is the most famous table in English history – it was made in a time of great peril. People believed that the world was about to end, all hope was lost; it was a time where one could truly say, "Call no man happy unless he is dead..."

"That is horrible," Meiling protested, "What kind of world is this, to let that happen... A hero should arise and stop it, which is why I am going to save the nation of Clow..."

"A hero did come... Then a sorcerer-druid and a second-rate Celtic-Roman warlord began a new idea, a way to bring some brief light in the darkest times of the Dark Ages," he gestured, "Here, sat the King... next to him sat Sir Mordred, Sir Gawain, Sir Percival, Sir Lancelot, Sir Bors, and many, many others... Here, they brought peace in a time of war, upheld the weak and meted out virtuous justice, slew evil beasts, righted the wrongs that were, and were courteous to women. Here, is one of the only a remembrances of the Knights of the Round Table other than their Code of Honor."

He paused with a reassuring smile towards Te, "If that halcyon time of Camelot ever comes again, the Round Table will be returned."

Te's eyes shimmered with approval...

"This is so boring..."

Yon started to move on...

"Do not wander off," Eriol caught her arm, "Please, I cannot promise your safety. This house and those in it have a mind of their own..."

"I can take care of myself..."

"Yes, I know, but I cannot let anything happen to my guests... it would be against the rules of good hospitality..."

"Who said we wanted to be your guests," Meiling had her oufda out, "Let us get this over with, take us to the library, not the dining room, billiard room, card-playing room, or any other..."

Eriol opened the door which should have led them back where they came, there it was, rows along rows of books. There were millions on billions of dusky volumes, things that made Te's joy of seeing the table pear in comparison. He gestured, "Okay, somewhere in here, I wrote it down..."

"That will take forever," Yon looked at them all, she would have preferred a digital medium.

"Well, I don't mind," Te's tail wagged.

"Well, it will be somewhere in the left book case," Eriol snapped his fingers remembering a little, "Unfortunately, it stretches a mile and a half in length."

"A mile in a half," the ofuda burned.

Hiraki was not pleased either...

"Lucky, right at this moment, I remembered where I put it..."

Eriol evaded, "I left it in the British Museum..."

"Why there," Yon asked.

"If you were going to hide something," Te answered, "Hide it in plain sight, right?"

"Something like that..."


	8. Kureta no wa kimi no egao sa

Eriol evaded, "I left it in the British Museum..."

"Why there," Yon asked.

"If you were going to hide something," Te answered, "Hide it in plain sight, right?"

"Something like that..."

Hiraki lit up a cigarette, he was very un-amused by the boy's unnatural playfulness. Eriol watched the flame in the blonde's hands for a long while, shivered, then grabbed the cigarette out of the dark-sinned male's mouth, "You really shouldn't smoke, it will stunt your growth..."

"What?"

Yon asked, "I hate to be a wet blanket, the fly on the wall intended to fill in things... but what actually motivated you to place something that powerful in the British Museum..."

"I already said that..."

Te pouted.

"Oh shut up, demon," Meiling sniped, "Let us get it over with..."

"You want to make something of it?"

Te's ears lay back ready for a fight.

"Now, now," Hiraki interceded, "Now, children behave..."

"I am no child," Eriol took offense to that word, "If you like to know, Miss Yon. I was inspired by a joke..."

"A joke? It figures with you..."

"But we have no time for jokes," Te said grabbing their hands leading them right to the museum.

"How did you know?"

"My world, Yon, also has an England..."

Picking up a very rusted key, with a small gold sun atop it, Eriol smiled. He nodded to himself, "Good, right were it was left... the last thing, I would want is it falling into the wrong hands, hands like "his"... shiver...I know "he" is watching, so I have to be careful what I say..."

"What gibberish are you talking about now?"

Meiling demanded, "All I see is some old piece of junk..."

"_I call upon the powers of the day and the night! I invoke thee, IAO, that thou will send HRU, the great Angel that is set over the operation of this Secret Wisdom, to lay his hand invisibly on these consecrated cards of art! Sun and darkness, unleash your might! That thereby we may obtain true knowledge of hidden things. RELEASE ! To the glory of thy ineffable name. Amen_

The key stretched out into a large sun-topped staff around him spun a magical circle with a horoscope and the Sephiroths of the Kabala. There was an unnatural glow...

Dark wings...

And now they found themselves on a new world...

THE WORLD OF JAPAN...

"What in the hell was that..."

Meiling demanded...

"A little magic left in this wand," he smiled hanging the key around his neck, "The chant?"

He whispered to Hiraki, "I borrowed from the other Eriols' staff Chant and "the Prayer of Iao," which maybe the inspiration for the word Clow..."


	9. Takanaru tokimeki wa

THE WORLD OF JAPAN...

(This would be Kurogane's world.)

"What in the hell was that..."

Meiling demanded...

"A little magic left in this wand," he smiled hanging the key around his neck, "The chant?"

He whispered to Hiraki, "I borrowed from the other Eriol's staff Chant and "the Prayer of Iao," which maybe the inspiration for the word Clow..."

"It figures..."

Hiraki placed his hand behind the boy, just in case – every time the brat used too much magic, he collapsed.

"Who art thou? Where did thou come from?"

There stood a woman in a beautiful kimono and robes, her reddish hair tied up in a braid at the back of her head, "If ye be demons, I will slay thee..."

"Demons," Te badly reacted – she hated that word, everybody called her that.

She did not even care that the woman had a longbow drawn...

Evading every arrow, slicing them in half with her nails, she pounced ready to kill the woman in her early-to-late twenties...

Until, Meiling tossed her ofuda...

A crash of thunder and Te stopped in her tracks...

Eriol stepped forward, "Please excuse use, beautiful lady," he bowed ready to kiss her hand, "But we are travelers..."

"Ye be foreigners?"

The woman asked almost blushing at the young man.

"You may say that," Yon agreed.

"For a moment, I thought Princess Tomoyo sent you..."

She admitted, "As Nichole always says, "The ninja princess cannot be trusted..."

"Shouldn't we at least introduce ourselves?"

The blond male with dark skin interrupted, he could tell that this woman had never seen anything like him before, "I am Feng D. Hiraki of Celes. Everybody calls me Hiraki. This," he gestured, "is..."

"Yon."

"I am Meiling, I have never known defeat or dishonor until I met this boy," the girl with red-orange eyes gestured at the dark-haired boy.

"I see," the elder woman said looking at her with almost a motherly stare, "I am Kaho."

(Mizuki Kaho, Card Captor Sakura)

"Eriol, at your service," another bow and a wide smile hoping she would lower her bow, "Lady Kaho."

"I am Te," the girl wagged her tail, "Did you say ninja princess?"

"Yes, I did," Kaho replied, "I am in service to Lady Nichole, mortal enemy of Princess Tomoyo, the leader of the ninja..."

"What is this ninja?"

Yon asked.

"They are the creatures of myth," Te reported her glasses fogging up with excitement of this new world she was in; "They are the shadow warriors, masters of ninjitsu, assassins of the highest order, able to do things beyond but with-in the code of Bushido - they can use un-honorable tactics, poison, assassination, espionage, and worse..."

"It almost sounds like you would want to be a ninja," Meiling insulted, "Someone without honor..."

"No," her ear twitched, "I prefer to be a knight in Camelot or a samurai in the time of legends..."

"Looks like you got your wish..."

"Ahem," Kaho cleared her voice, and then bowed seeing a familiar face.

Well at least for Eriol and Hiraki, they knew her...

"Tomoyo is the peak of all evil. Since you have come here, you must have been summoned to do away with her," Nichole said to them...

Hiraki glanced at Eriol and whispered, "Didn't we kill her?"

"Different worlds, same faces. And it was not we," Eriol whispered back, "You killed her with your shamanic magic. I would never dream of harming a lady."

"Tomoyo must be stopped! Especially, now when her favorite bodyguard, Kurogane, has gone missing..."

"Interesting strategy," Yon commented, "But this is no affair of ours, people of your world should solve your own problems..."

"On the contrary," the boy corrected her, "Unless we correct whatever wrong is in this world, we cannot move on..."

"You mean," Meiling slashed with her sword at him, "You got us stuck here!"

As he dodged her slices with a smile; then he paused in thought, "What I know of Tomoyo, she is not really evil - unless, people are truly different in different worlds... Unless you consider that she put Sakura in all those cute little costumes..." (he is thinking of Tomoyo CCS, not Tomoyo Tsubasa)

"Are you sure ye can trust them," Kaho asked Nichole, "They could be spies... or the three magical warriors..."

"Magical warriors," Te's eyes was enjoying this, "I would love to face them... But first, a change of clothes..."

This time, in slurry of peach blossoms new clothes...

"What sorcery is this?"

Nichole asked.

"Illusion, not sorcery," Meiling picked at her clothes, she stood there in an almost perfect copy of Devil Hunter Yohko's outfit, right down to the high-healed shoes...

"You don't like it?"

Yon asked – she was dressed as a Buddhist priest, "I have to agree..."

"What's wrong," Te petted her little white ruff, "I choose what was appropriate for us out of anime. You, Yon, wish not to fight, so I had to choose between a Buddhist priest and "Kenshin;" I chose the former. As for me, I went for someone I think is very honorable, "Fluffy." "Fluffy," the fan-girls pet-name for Shishamaru, Inuyasha's older brother..."

"Admirable," Eriol nodded, he glanced at Hiraki - he was dressed as a warrior from a different anime. Then he glanced at his own clothes, they were an almost an exact copy of Suburu's ceremonial clothes, "But..."

(Suburu, Tokyo Babylon)

"But...what..."

Her eyes went all innocent making Kaho pat her head.

"The color will have to go," Eriol snapped his fingers, "White does not suit me..."

Seeing the change, Meiling insulted, "But Black matches your heart..."

"You wouldn't know..."


End file.
